Vayali’s earth songs & digital community archive at the 4th International FOSS Conference – Kerala

What is that brings a music band advocating folk music to a seminar on open software? Vayali Folklore Group, the music band, comes into the picture as Vinod Nambiar, its executive director, is leading a session on ‘Documenting culture on FOSS’ at the ongoing 4th International FOSS Conference, Kerala, on December 29. “We are documenting … Read more

Unicef packages: tribal languages as the medium of instruction for children – Jharkhand

At a time when the state is red-faced about rural primary schoolchildren clueless in class, Unicef (Jharkhand) has embarked upon a pioneering project of preparing textbooks in tribal and regional languages for children for whom Hindi is as alien a medium of instruction as English. […] Textbooks include a theme-based pictorial dictionary in tribal and … Read more

Traditional music instruments of the Santals at the Museum of Santal Culture – West Bengal

Tirio bamboo flute * Dhodro banam bowed instrument * Madol or tumdak double-sided barrel drum * Photos: Boro Baski, Museum of Santal Culture; photo credit: Ludwig Pesch © 2012 Information on these and other music instruments provided by the Wesanthals E-Group * Tirio: The instrument most favoured by Santals, is bamboo flute with seven holes. It is … Read more

Slideshow | The story of Ekalavya judged by India’s Supreme Court

Watch this story on Youtube including the self-mutilation scene [11:32]: Eklavya (Mahabharat) Kahaniyaa video channel: Moral Stories For ChildrenURL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgl0L401VkIDate visited: 11 July 2021 Dronacharya, Guru of Pandavas and Kauravas in the epic Mahabharata, came in for some harsh contemporary scrutiny in the Supreme Court, with the apex court terming as shameful his action in … Read more

Use of the body to communicate, sing and tell stories: Challenges to the imposition of an allegedly modern culture on formerly or currently colonised regions

In many formerly or currently colonised regions like South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the American South and Native America, there has always existed a rich, vibrant tradition of oral storytelling, one that was marginalised, often violently, through an imposition of an allegedly modern, white Western language and culture. […] Having grown up within the largely … Read more